Wireless and Wired Routers and Networking – Future Shop
Your home probably has one high-speed Internet connection (most likely through cable or DSL), but you may have multiple devices that you’d like to be able to access the Internet with. A router is an easy and practical way to share online access with devices like laptops, desktops, tablets, smartphones, Smart TVs, game consoles, Blu-ray players, and more. Future Shop carries a huge selection of wireless and wired routers from manufacturers like
TP Link,
Netgear,
D-Link,
Linksys,
TRENDnet,
Belkin,
Apple, and more.
Wireless Routers
A
wireless router takes your high-speed Internet connection and spreads it across your home in the form of a Wi-Fi network, so you can hop online without having to be physically connected to, well, anything. Wireless routers come in different protocols, each of which has separate top speeds and ranges. From oldest to newest they are: 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n, which is currently the fastest protocol and has the best range. The next standard, called 802.11ac, is being developed and will be rolled out in the near future.
Wireless routers come in different categories, designed to fit specific needs. If your online access needs are modest – web browsing, emailing, and watching YouTube videos – then a basic router will do nicely. If you require faster speeds, for tasks like streaming HD video, transferring large files, or playing online games, then look for dual-band routers with faster throughput.
Wired Routers
If you run a business from your home or do tasks that require consistent, reliable, high-speed network access, a
wired router might be best for you. Wired routers connect to your computer, game console, Smart TV, or Blu-ray player through Ethernet cables and provide data transfer speeds that are faster than Wi-Fi. However, they do require cables to work, so you’re more limited in terms of where you can place your device, and you’ll need hubs, switches, and multiple cables if you’re going to connect more than one device.
Resources:
Learn how to select the best router for your needs with our Buying Guides:
Networking Buying Guide
Read our Tech Spotlights to get the full story on these great products:
D-Link DIR-825 Router – Tech Spotlight
D-Link Wireless Routers – Tech Spotlight
D-Link Amplifi with SmartBeam – Tech Spotlight
Linksys EA Smart Wi-Fi Routers – Tech Spotlight
Netgear Networking – Tech Spotlight
Netgear N900 Wireless Router – Tech Spotlight
Belkin Routers and Apps – Tech Spotlight
Find out what our Tech Bloggers have to say about these products:
How to Know Which Router Is the Right Fit For You – Tech Blog